Batteries are increasingly being used as a power source for many different kinds of devices, including small electronics, such as smartphones, to large devices, such as automobiles. The choice of battery chemistry to be used in a given device is typically a compromise of characteristics, such as weight, size, capacity, charge/discharge current, charge time, safety, heat generation, reliability, life span, etc.
Attempts to mix battery chemistries in a given system to reduce the respective compromises presents certain drawbacks. For example, large current flow between cells can occur when voltage levels are different. This is even more dangerous for non-rechargeable batteries where a reverse flow of current may cause the battery to break or explode.
Consequently, there is a need for battery systems and methods that reduce the need to compromise on certain battery system characteristics while addressing the drawbacks of conventional mixed-chemistry systems.